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Actionstep offers free cloud-based software amid the COVID-19 pandemic

For law firms struggling to enable remote working without cloud-based software, this free software can help them through the COVID-19 crisis

March 19th, 2020 Actionstep, a leading cloud-based legal practice management software provider, is offering free access to its secure cloud-based legal practice management software to law firms that are struggling to enable remote working amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the offer is to give law firms of any size, who are not currently using a cloud-based product like Actionstep, a platform to enable home-working for their teams immediately. Using Actionsteps software during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis will give firms access to their matter data remotely and keep them operational, without going through a major IT infrastructure change.

The offer gives law firms, free use of ActionstepsExpressproduct for 6 months or more and enables their teams to work on client and matter files remotely.Expressis Actionsteps Ready-to go product, meaning there is no customization or implementation time required. Firms can start using Actionstep Express right away through an automated setup process. Using Express during the COVID-19 pandemicwill allow firms to securely manage current and future matters, integrate with email and calendar tools like Office 365 or Gmail, share file notes & documents, assign & manage team tasks, track time & billing, and see all their data and team activity in one place.

After 6 months firms can export their data from Actionstep and go back to their original systems, or, if they wish, they can continue with Actionstep on a regular subscription. Actionstep will monitor the COVID-19 situation and may extend this offer beyond 6 months if necessary.

David Hepburn, Actionsteps President says: One of our core values is about being part of and actively supporting our legal community. This is an unprecedented crisis and we want to give the wider law community affected by COVID-19 a solution to keep running effectively and keep their team safe during this time.

Find out more: https://try.actionstep.com/express-offer/

About Actionstep:

Actionstepsall-in-one practice management system gives law firms the freedom and tools to evolve & grow.Built in the cloud, with workflow at its heart, Actionstepgets rid of admin distractions and simplifies how law firms work.So, they always have the headspace and time to serve clients well.With matter management, time & billing, document management,document automation,CRM, business reporting, general ledger accounting and compliance tools built-in, Actionstep gives lawyers & their teams real-time access to files & data in one place from anywhere on any device.www.actionstep.com

Spokespeople: David Hepburn, President, Actionstep: [emailprotected] or phone: 800 257 4042 to speak to David Hepburn or Andrew Keeney, VP USA

In-house PR contact: Triona Saunders, Actionstep: [emailprotected]

David Hepburn, President, Actionstep: [emailprotected] or phone: 800 257 4042 to speak to David Hepburn or Andrew Keeney, VP USA

In-house PR contact: Triona Saunders, Actionstep: [emailprotected]

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LAW FIRMS OFFERED FREE CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE COVID-19 CRISIS - Reported Times

Advice LBV Hub Coronavirus IT and Technology Q2Q Coronavirus

As the UK enters its third week of lockdown many of us are slowly becoming more accustomed to the idea of remote working being our new normal. However, for some, this radical change to our daily routines and office set-up has played havoc with our efficiency.

As an IT firm, were naturally huge advocates of the way technology and software can improve and streamline processes and productivity so, if youre still struggling to know the difference between your Zoom call and Google Hangout, weve got you covered.

Here are some of the best (free) tools available right now, which could play a little role in making your transition to the home office a bit less stressful.

With the kibosh firmly on face-to-face meetings, video calling now means much more than a Sunday afternoon FaceTime with your family dog. These virtual gatherings can host plenty of people and offer a great way to keep in touch with colleagues and clients. With plenty to choose from, here are some of the key players:

Zoom has seen a huge upsurge in users as a result of COVID-19, and the free option allows up to 100 people to join a meeting which is more than enough for most business conversations. However, meetings of three people or more are limited to 40 minutes so you need to cut the waffle.

Microsoft Teams is our own go-to here at Q2Q, and weve been using this platform since its release. It comes as part of Office 365, but there is a trial version which is free for the first six months (as a reaction to COVID-19). Up to 250 participants can join a single meeting but you can only see four people at once, with the stream switching based on whos talking.

Skype is probably the most recognised video conferencing tool and doubles up as a great internal chatroom too. While its previously been associated with long-distance calls to friends and family, its ability to support up to 50 people on any one call means its great for company use too.

Google Hangouts comes as part of your Google account, and is one that is often overlooked in favour of the aforementioned big three. However, as most people have a Gmail account or Google business set-up its worth considering. It integrates well with other Google products such as Calendar and Docs plus, theres the option to record and save meetings to Google Drive.

Connecting to a video chatroom for eight hours per day would undoubtedly sap your broadband limits dry. But there are other ways to stay connected and chat as you would in the office without cluttering up your inbox.

Work collaboration tools and instant messaging software is a great way to ensure you dont lose touch and enable you to quickly see where projects ate up to. Slack, Discord, Workplace by Facebook, Asana and Basecamp each offer basic, free packages to get you started.

Slack is by far one of the most popular work collaboration tools around today. Its been helping co-workers across different locations to keep in touch for years, thanks to its functionality which offers private chats with colleagues, as well as separate channels for specific project or water cooler conversations.

Asana meanwhile, is a great way of keeping teams updated with the status of work and projects. Similar to Trello and Google Keep, these digital tools allow you to keep tack of your to-do list, while providing visibility to others involved in its delivery. A visual interface, kitsch pop-ups when a task is progressed, and a handy drag-and-drop functionality bolsters productivity, clarity and project management.

One Note forms part of the 365 subscription and is great as a general notebook for ideas which can also be shared with the teams or third parties when required. It supports a history and, as most of it is plain text, it has a simple and responsive offline mode with changes getting pushed as additional internet bandwidth becomes available such as when Netflix or Spotify is paused by the children!

When it comes to actual work, a home office can provide a plethora of excuses to procrastinate. From feeding the cat to struggling with server access these hurdles will often need to be overcome well in advance of the working day.

Cue: Google everything. We dont mean, physically Google it we mean Google Sheets, Docs, and Drive. This cloud-based suite of tools lets you work on whatever you need to worksheets, documents and even presentations directly from your browser.

Google Drive is the glue which links all of these applications together, and it also lets you upload, store and share large image and video files too. In fact, Google will give you the first 15GB of cloud storage, per account, for free with add-ons available for those needing a little more space.

As always, if you want to find out more about how we can support your remote working set-up, or you just fancy a chat, get in touch with the team via hello@q2q-it.com or Tweet us!

The rest is here:
Free tools and software to maximise remote working efficiency - Lancashire Business View

SEATTLE, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Altoura announced Monday it will give free licenses for its immersive VR/AR training and collaboration software for use in finding a COVID-19 vaccine or making health care supplies. The virtual and augmented reality startup joins the ranks of companies, big and small, around the country that are jumping to respond the challenge of our time.

The company is offering free licenses for six months to its Altoura Immersive Reality Platform (VR/AR/MR) and at-cost digital twin and training design services to companies or organizations, private or public, that are working on a COVID-19 vaccine or manufacturing supplies, like ventilators, PPE and testing kits, for health care workers. The licenses can be extended, if needed.

Based in Seattle, Altoura builds virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality enterprise solutions for immersive training, layouts and virtual tours. The award-winning solutions run on iOS (iPhone and iPads), Android, Windows PC and the HoloLens 2. It supports multi-user remote collaboration. Hundreds of companies have used Altoura's web-based VR tours and its app-based immersive training and collaboration software.

"We know that we can provide a layer of safety and productivity with our immersive training software," said Jamie Fleming, CEO of Altoura, which is a Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner.

Fleming's offer to provide his company's software licenses for free and to discount their design services is motivated by the very real dangers and pain it has caused in his own backyard. He is reaching out to business leaders to work together to find solutions to the global pandemic and its ensuing havoc.

"I believe there is an imperative for all of us to work together to find solutions," he said. "Coronavirus has struck so many in my community and our loved ones."

Even prior to the global pandemic, Altoura was working with customers like Thermo Fisher, Walgreens and Microsoft and continues to support them as they pivot as part of their emergency response.

Many companies already employ virtual training for the cost savings from reduced travel and the ability for employees to train anywhere, any time. With the Altoura software, environments can be experienced in virtual or augmented reality and training is delivered immersively. This has the benefit of reducing the need for in-person interactions and travel two factors that may be the difference between life and death in the face of this global pandemic.

According to internal research, collaborating and training immersively accelerates learning by raising the learner's engagement, increasing information retention and reducing errors. Plus, companies can safely train their workforce in unsafe environments.

"Altoura allows us to train our people safely in unsafe situations," said Amanda El Bahou, manager of Qantas Group Learning Technology. Altoura recently built an immersive flight simulator for Australian airline giant Qantas.

Contact together@altoura.com to find out more about the free software license offer for the Altoura Immersive Reality Platform (VR/AR/MR).

More here:
Altoura offers VR/AR immersive training software free to companies and organizations fighting Coronavirus - Chinook Observer

Life looks very different right now as the novel coronavirus has millions around the world stuck indoors. Festivals, clubs, and even house parties are banned in many cities, leaving musicians (and music lovers) housebound and searching for creative outlets. Over the past few weeks, several music companies have responded by offering freebies in order to, as Korg said, provide a musical way to occupy your mind.

Below, weve rounded up an array of apps, plug-ins, sounds, lessons, and even digital audio workstations (DAWs) that are currently free to give tools to musicians and those looking to learn musical skills during the pandemic. A few were already free, but the majority are only free for a limited time. There are tons of deals available, so get ready to hunker down with some new digital toys. Keep checking back as the list is regularly updated.

Link:
Here are a bunch of free music apps and sample packs while were all stuck inside - The Verge

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Command Alkon, the leading Supplier Collaboration Platform for Constructions Heavy Work, and HCSS, the Leading Heavy Civil Software Solutions Provider, are leveraging their existing collaboration partnership to quickly expand safe social distancing capabilities on critical infrastructure jobsites. The combination of Command Alkon's free eTicketing Essentials and HCSS' free Trucking Software will help contractors automate the collection of both material and truck tickets. The co-joined efforts remove the need for person-to-person paper-based processes and together are available at no cost to users through June 30th, 2020.

We are happy to work in conjunction with Command Alkon to actively mitigate the impact of COVID-19, advancing essential heavy-civil construction projects while keeping workers health the number one priority, said Mike Rydin, CEO at HCSS. Together, by replacing both paper material tickets and paper truck tickets, we are keeping jobs safer and on-track while supporting ongoing operations in a more productive way.

HCSS Trucking enables contractors to track trucks on the jobsite and digitally record loads and timecards via a tablet or smartphone. When used alongside Command Alkons eTicketing Essentials offer, users receive electronic tickets for both materials and trucks all in one place.

The heavy construction community needs digital capabilities across their supply chains now more than ever, said Phil Ramsey, CEO at Command Alkon. We are grateful to have an exceptional partner like HCSS and we welcome them joining free eTicketing Essentials to expand the offers value for the industry. Our combined efforts will provide a more end-to-end solution to better serve all stakeholders: material producers, suppliers, haulers, and contractors alike.

To learn more about how eTicketing Essentials works with the HCSS Trucking application, please contact HCSS at (800) 683-3196 or visit https://www.hcss.com/products/construction-truck-ticket-management/. For more information on Command Alkons eTicketing Essentials offering, call (205) 263-5700 or visit commandalkon.com/eticketforfree/.

ABOUT HCSS

Founded in 1986, HCSS is a leader in construction software and mobile applications solutions for the heavy civil, transportation, and utility industries. More than 80,000 professionals use HCSS software to improve their proficiency at estimating, job management, resource management, safety and equipment management. In addition to high-quality software, HCSS is known for providing world-class customer service with professional implementation planning, ongoing training, and instant 24/7 support, 365 days a year. For more information about HCSS, visit:www.hcss.com.

ABOUT COMMAND ALKON

As the Leading Supplier Collaboration Platform for Heavy Work, Command Alkon solutions deliver supply chain integration and frictionless digital collaboration across the heavy construction ecosystem. CONNEX, a many-to-many technology platform purpose built for the industry, enables business partners to automate inter-enterprise operations, capture real-time visibility into heavy material orders and deliveries, leverage leading-edge software experiences to achieve mutually beneficial goals, and share knowledge to manage by exception and promote certainty of outcomes. Command Alkon is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices in locations around the globe. For more information, visit commandalkon.com.

For More Information, Contact:Becky BoydMediaFirst PR(770) 642-2080 x 214becky@mediafirst.com

Karli LangnerCommand Alkon(205) 879-3282 x 3968klangner@commandalkon.com

Originally posted here:
Command Alkon and HCSS Aligned in Promoting Safe and Productive Construction Operations Amidst COVID-19 Crisis - GlobeNewswire